Construction cost estimates were generated by RemodelMAX, a publisher of estimating tools for remodelers, using Clear Estimates remodeling software. The company prepares a detailed construction estimate for each project, and then adjusts this baseline cost for each market to account for pricing variations. Construction cost figures include labor, material, and subtrade expenses, plus industry-standard overhead and profit. Note that project costs are based on estimates for generic projects. They do not account for personalized design and product choices made by homeowners in connection with actual remodeling projects, nor do they account for local and short-term fluctuations in pricing, supply and demand, and other factors affecting cost.
Resale value data for each project was aggregated from estimates provided by real estate professionals via an online survey conducted by Hanley Wood. The survey contained project descriptions and illustrations, plus construction costs and median home prices for each city. Respondents were instructed to avoid making judgments about the motivation of the homeowner in either the decision to undertake the remodeling project or to sell the house. The survey was in the field for approximately 10 weeks between August and October, 2019.
The Farnsworth Group, an online market research company, programmed and hosted the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Web-based survey. It collected and compiled the data and also provided consulting.
Margin of Error
The value portion of the Cost vs. Value report is based on a survey conducted by our partner, The Farnsworth Group. For the national numbers, Farnsworth has set the confidence interval at 95% +/- 2.7%. This means that if the survey were repeated, 95 times out of 100 the results for any project’s cost-value ratio would be within 2.7 percentage points of the numbers we published. This means that the % of costs recouped for a minor midrange kitchen remodel, which we set at 78%, could be as high as 80.7% or as low as 75.3%.
